Is it worth feeding a newborn with a formula. The child is constantly hungry! Potential negative consequences of supplementation

22.07.2019

Often there are situations when a young mother cannot fully breastfeed. In such cases, women first start thinking about mixed meals. But is it always justified, and in what situations do you really need to choose supplementary feeding while breastfeeding.

When to Introduce Supplemental Feeding

Often at a pediatrician's appointment, you can hear the following phrase: "I have low-fat milk and my newborn baby is hungry all the time, write us complementary foods, I will feed him." There are a lot of such women who, for some reason, consider their milk inappropriate to the needs of the child. They try in every way and method to increase the amount of milk and give it fat content. When all their attempts do not bring the right results, they come to the conclusion that the child urgently needs to be fed. However, breastfeeding experts argue that in most cases there is no such need, and mothers are simply worried in vain.

The mammary glands are designed in such a way that the amount of milk released corresponds to the volume of the product eaten by the child. This means that if your baby eats 100 ml of milk, about the same will be added to the next feed.

However, women whose child does not go to bed immediately after a meal, or requires breast, in their opinion, too often, begin to introduce complementary foods on their own. In no case should this be done!

Situations when complementary foods are needed:

Mom's illness accompanied by taking antibiotics. In this case, supplementary feeding with a mixture is introduced only for the period of treatment. During this period, breastfeeding should be left only in the morning.
The absence of mom during the day. If a woman cannot stay at home with a child and leaves the maternity leave ahead of time, you can supplement the newborn during the hours of mother's absence.
Serious violation of the immune system in the mother. Weakening of the immune system can occur in the case of twins or a cesarean section. In such situations, the mother may be advised to choose the baby's mixed food.
Multiple births. If there are 2 or more babies born, it makes sense to introduce complementary foods so that all babies are full.

All about colic in newborns

In other cases, problems with a lack of milk are mostly invented by a caring mother. To understand whether your baby is eating enough, you just need to weigh the baby regularly. Weight gain within the normal range indicates that the baby is receiving a sufficient amount of milk.

How to administer complementary food

If, due to circumstances, your child still needs complementary foods, you should choose the right mixture. The health of the child and his development depends on this. Supplementation in the form of a mixture is introduced only in the first 6 months of a baby's life. Older children can be supplemented with cereals and vegetable purees.

For newborn babies up to six months, pediatricians recommend choosing mixtures for mixed nutrition - hydrolyzers.

Their taste is not as pleasant as your mother's milk and you can avoid complete breast rejection.

When introducing a mixed meal, it is very important to adhere to the feeding schedule. If breastfeeding occurs at the request of the child, then formula feeding should be no more than every 3 hours during the day. Also, to calculate the required amount of the mixture, it is necessary to observe the urination of the baby. In the first days, it is necessary to give the child a minimum amount of supplementary feeding with a mixture. If at the same time the baby pees less than 8 times a day, the volume needs to be increased. All recommendations on the correct introduction of supplements should be given to you by a pediatrician, who will be able to calculate the correct amount of nutrition and the number of feedings with a mixture per day.

If the child has not eaten a single portion of the mixture, pour it out correctly, re-feeding the previously diluted product is strictly prohibited! It is best to spoon feed your baby with formula. This is due to the fact that it is much easier for the baby to suck on the bottle, and he may refuse to suckle at the breast.

Choice of additional power supply

When choosing a supplement mixture, follow three rules:

The usefulness of the product. The mixture should contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Hypoallergenic. The mixture should not contain sugar, flavors and other components that can provoke allergic reactions in the baby. If you are lactose intolerant, choose a soy protein based blend.
Quality. Product quality must be confirmed by certificates and additional clinical studies. When choosing, pay special attention to the shelf life and storage rules of the product.

How to care for your baby immediately after childbirth and throughout the first year of life

Mixed food tricks

Despite the fact that experts advise feeding the baby from a spoon, many mothers simply do not find the strength to feed their baby with microscopic doses for hours. After suffering, they go to the pharmacy for a day or two and buy a bottle for the mixture. Mixed meals with this approach can provoke a complete abandonment of the mother's breast in favor of the bottle. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to make it so that it is as difficult for a baby to suck milk from a bottle as from a breast. To do this, you need to purchase bottles with a very small hole in the nipple, then sucking will be just as difficult and the child will not feel the difference, which means he will not prefer light feeding with a mixture.

How to bring back breastfeeding

It is not uncommon for women to want to return to breastfeeding and eliminate mixed meals altogether. It is possible. However, simply picking up and canceling supplementation will not work. It takes time for a newborn to fully return to breastfeeding. Today, breastfeeding experts strongly recommend reinstating breastfeeding after the situation that led to supplementary feeding has returned to normal.

The time it takes to give up mixed meals is directly related to the amount of formula the child receives.

If the daily amount of additional food is less than 100 ml, you can refuse it within a few days, simply replacing one feeding with a formula per day with breastfeeding.

If the baby receives more than 100 ml of formula per day, it is necessary to reduce the volume of each feed in favor of breastfeeding. To do this, give your baby both breasts first before each supplementary feeding. This will allow you to reduce the amount of complementary foods and increase lactation. Further, when you have achieved a reduction in the total amount of supplements by half, you can simply replace the supplementary feed gradually with breastfeeding.

Is it possible with breastfeeding to introduce complementary foods at 4 months

The worries that you have little milk and the baby will remain hungry are groundless in this case.

The more intensively you give the baby a breast, the more milk there will be.

During this period, mom needs to sleep more, eat well and drink plenty of fluids.

Remember that none of the healthiest formula can replace breast milk and the feeling of closeness and love that the baby feels at the mother's breast. The child should feed on mother's milk, because this is conceived by nature itself, which does not make mistakes and does not imply mixed nutrition.

Mixed infant feeding is a reasonable alternative when breast milk is scarce. It allows you to maintain lactation and provide the baby with at least partially natural nutrition. If you feed the baby correctly, mixed feeding will only benefit him. Many women eventually manage to completely transfer the baby to breast milk.

Mixed feeding is a method of feeding in which the infant receives formula at the same time as breast milk. The amount of additional food should not exceed 50% of the daily portion of the infant's food. If infant formula makes up the majority of the diet, feeding is considered artificial.

Properly organized mixed feeding of a newborn helps to maintain breastfeeding and increase milk production. Baby food cannot completely replace breast milk. It contains many valuable substances that are not found in artificial analogues. Natural food is ideal for the development of the baby and protects it from disease. Of no small importance is the psychological contact between mother and child, which is established during breastfeeding. The process of sucking breast milk soothes the newborn, gives him a feeling of safety and comfort.

You need to start eating with breast milk. The infant should be allowed to empty both breasts and only then offered infant formula. Allowing your baby to suck all the milk out of the breast can significantly increase milk production. Before breastfeeding, the baby can only be offered some therapeutic mixtures prescribed by a pediatrician.
You should not offer your baby food in a bottle with a teat. Satisfying his need for sucking, the baby may lose interest in breast milk. If you have a large hole in the nipple of the bottle, it will be much easier to suck than the breast. In this case, the baby may completely refuse to suck breast milk. It is best to feed the baby with a spoonful of infant formula. This method is the most inconvenient for babies. Therefore, he will tend to suck more at the breast.
To maintain lactation and increase the amount of milk produced, it is imperative to breastfeed the baby at night. During this period, the greatest amount of the hormone prolactin is produced, which is responsible for lactation.
Only infant formula can be given in one of the feedings. Such a scheme is convenient for women who need to be absent for several hours daily.
Breastfeeding is recommended on demand. You can offer breast milk when the baby is upset, cannot sleep, or is not feeling well. The more the newborn suckles at the breast, the more milk the mammary glands will produce.
If you follow all the recommendations carefully, the amount of milk will gradually increase. Reduce the volume of infant formula as needed. Thus, it is possible to transfer the child to full breastfeeding.

How to calculate the amount of infant formula you need

The amount of additional food is calculated depending on the child's body weight deficit. If a newborn at 3 weeks weighs 3100 g (birth weight 3000 g) and has all the signs of malnutrition, he needs additional nutrition. The body weight deficit is 3400 g - 3100 g = 300 g. To calculate the required daily food volume, 3100 g is needed: 5 = 620 ml. With seven meals a day, the baby should eat about 90 ml of milk for one feeding.

Control weighing allows you to determine the amount of milk that the baby sucks from the mother during one feeding. If its amount fluctuates between 60-70 ml, it is necessary to prepare a one-time portion of baby food 40-30 ml.

If one feeding is completely replaced with infant formula, the serving size should be increased to 90 ml.

The pediatrician will help you calculate the optimal amount of infant formula. He will take into account the individual characteristics of the child, his state of health and the maturity of the digestive system.

What mixtures can be used for supplementary feeding?

With mixed feeding, the doctor will tell you how to choose the right formula. If the baby is completely healthy and has no disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system, you can give him Nutrilon, Humana, Nan, Hipp.

When a baby suffers from constipation, regurgitation and colic, it is better to include in his diet fermented milk infant formula Nan, Nutrilon, Nutrilak or Agusha. They contain lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, which help restore a healthy balance of microflora in the baby's intestines.

If the baby has an intolerance to cow's milk, you can feed it with an infant formula based on goat milk (Cabrita, Nanny) or soy (Nan-soy, Frisosoy, Enfamil-soy, Similak isomil). In most cases, these products are well tolerated by children.

For babies with protein intolerance, foods are made with split proteins. These formulas do not cause a negative reaction in the child, but they have an unpleasant taste and low nutritional value. They can only be used as directed by a doctor.

If the infant is mixed feeding, there is no need to strive to feed him the entire prepared portion of the infant formula at any cost. If he refuses to eat, the feeding should be stopped.

For the next meal, you do not need to prepare an increased portion of the formula, trying to replace the volume that the baby refused during the previous feed. Always prepare your doctor's recommended dose of baby food.

After the baby has eaten the proposed mixture, you can offer him the breast again. If the baby is not full, he will suckle with pleasure.

Infant formula is absorbed longer than breast milk. The number of feedings with mixed feeding will be 1 less than with breastfeeding.

To prevent the baby from weaning from the breast, you can use a special device for feeding newborns. It is a container for baby food with a tube attached to it. The tube is attached to the mother's nipple. The child captures it along with the nipple and receives additional nutrition in the most favorable conditions for him.

Babies who are on mixed feeding need to introduce the first complementary foods 2-3 weeks earlier than those who are on the breast diet.

There is no need to be upset about the fact that you have to feed your child with infant formula. Critical periods occur in all breastfeeding women. With the growth of the baby, his needs for food also increase. The mammary glands need time to provide the baby's increased appetite. For some women, adaptation takes a little longer.

We need to think about how to properly organize mixed feeding and quickly restore lactation. You need to drink more fluids, eat well, get enough rest, get enough sleep and regularly be in the fresh air.

In this article:

Sometimes situations arise when supplementary feeding with a mixture becomes necessary. Unsteady lactation, illness of the mother and insufficient weight gain by the child are common causes of mixed feeding. Supplementation is the introduction of an artificial mixture into the infant's diet, which should, on a temporary or permanent basis, supplement the mother's lactation.

When is supplementation needed?

There are a number of reasons for mixed feeding. As practice shows, there are plenty of them against the background of the modern rhythm of life.

Situations when you need supplementary formula while breastfeeding:

Unsteady or disturbed lactation ... Sometimes the baby simply does not have enough breast milk, which affects his body weight.
Mom's disease ... If a woman is forced to take medications that are not allowed for hepatitis B, pediatricians recommend giving up breastfeeding and transferring the baby to an adapted milk formula. This step will protect the baby from pathogenic microflora and drug metabolites that pass into breast milk.
Rhesus conflict ... The incompatibility of the blood of the mother and the newborn is an indication for artificial nutrition.
Time trouble ... Not all women manage to be on maternity leave for several years. Can a breastfed baby be supplemented with formula in this case? Yes, it's better than switching to artificial nutrition completely.

What products are used for supplementary feeding?

The formula for supplementary feeding of newborns in composition should be as close as possible to mother's milk. It is not difficult to buy a high-quality product adapted to the needs of a baby - there is a sufficient range of domestic and foreign baby food on store shelves that can be offered to a baby from birth.

Milk from domestic animals - cows or goats - is not currently used in pediatrics. These foods have been shown to negatively affect the child's immune system, digestive tract and kidneys. There is also a risk of infection of the baby with Brucella and other pathogenic flora, which can be transmitted from sick animals. Supplementing a newborn with a formula excludes this possibility.

Mix volume

If during breastfeeding the child does not have enough milk, it must be supplemented with an artificial formula, the volume of which must be calculated correctly, but how to do it? There are two ways.

To find out how much breast milk the baby receives during the day, he is weighed before and after feeding. Based on the difference obtained and the age-related needs of the child in the amount of food, an appropriate conclusion is made. This method helps to quickly and easily determine whether it is necessary to introduce supplements and how much formula the baby needs.

You can also find out if mom has a milk shortage by counting wet diapers. To this end, for one day, it is required to abandon disposable diapers and swaddle the newborn in the old fashioned way. On average, a baby urinates 12 times a day. If this happens less frequently, add 30 ml of formula to each feeding until the number of wet diapers is correct.

It is not necessary to calculate the required amount of supplementary feed "by eye". Such actions can lead to digestive problems, an increase in the volume of the stomach and an overweight child, if you make a mistake and overfeed the baby.

Choosing a mixture

After deciding on the need to introduce supplementary feeding for a newborn, a young mother is faced with the task of choosing the right products. Modern adapted formulas are close in composition to mother's milk, so it is not difficult to choose high-quality baby food these days.

How and what mixture to choose to avoid allergies and digestive problems? A good blend contains the unsaturated fats needed for the full development of the nervous system and brain. Most products contain pro- and prebiotic supplements that eliminate the likelihood of digestive problems in the baby. Nucleotides have a positive effect on the formation of immunity, and lutein is useful for the organs of vision. It is also important that the infant formula contains iodine, taurine and other trace elements.

The child's age and well-being also play a role in deciding which mixture is best to feed a newborn. The composition of baby food changes in accordance with the growing needs of the baby, so you need to pay attention to the product labeling. Usually babies up to 6 months old the mixture is labeled with the number "1", for older children - "2" and "3".

If the child has digestive problems, such as colic or, it is better to choose a fermented milk mixture. With lactase deficiency, pediatricians advise lactose-free products.

The tendency to frequent regurgitation can be eliminated by feeding an antireflux mixture with a high viscosity. For children with allergies, a hypoallergenic product is better suited, while a nursing mother should not forget about compliance.

Before purchasing the mixture, you need to read the instructions. It is important not only to purchase a quality product, but also to learn how to properly prepare and store it. So which supplement mix to choose? It depends on the age and needs of the baby.

How to add supplements?

Correct introduction of artificial feeding into the baby's diet guarantees the success of mixed feeding.

Breast milk is the only true source of nutrition for a baby ... It contains all the necessary list of trace elements, vitamins and salts that a baby needs during the period of growth and development. Therefore, it is possible to supplement the formula with breastfeeding only if the newborn first of all emptied the mother's mammary glands in full.
If the child does not finish the proposed mixture to the end, it is not necessary to force him ... You can determine the satiety of a baby by his behavior: he does not make sucking movements, turns away from the bottle or pushes it away with his hand. You need to feed a breastfed baby with the same amount of the selected mixture, without reducing or increasing this volume, including before bedtime.
Toddlers eat better in a good mood ... If the baby is overexcited, cold, or in pain, constant crying will interfere with normal food intake. Therefore, first, the mother must eliminate all unfavorable factors, and only when the child calms down, you need to feed him with a mixture.
The hole in the bottle shouldn't be too big ... Quick and easy saturation with an artificial mixture leads to the fact that soon the baby completely abandons the breast. If possible, it is recommended to replace the bottle with a dessert spoon.
Temperature the finished mixture should be comfortable for the baby - no higher than 38 ° C.

If you follow these simple rules, supplementing with a mixture while maintaining breastfeeding will avoid a quick transition to artificial nutrition for the baby.

With the help of what to supplement?

A bottle equipped with a pacifier is a familiar attribute for every young mother. But pediatricians advise using it only in extreme circumstances. This method of feeding infants with formula is a direct threat to lactation.

Long-term observations indicate that children who first try a pacifier begin to reluctantly breastfeed and soon categorically refuse mother's milk.

So, how to properly feed a newborn with a mixture using simple devices?

A young mother can choose which method is most optimal for her.:

Dessert or teaspoon ... This is the easiest way to feed your baby without jeopardizing lactation. The child is supplemented with a mixture by means of a spoon, subject to a modest amount of food.
Pipette or syringe ... This option is also suitable for supplementary feeding with a small amount of the mixture, that is, you should not feed the baby in this way at night. In addition, the process itself takes a lot of time and effort for both the mother and the child, but does not affect the process of breast milk production.
Small cup ... Another simple, but not very convenient method for feeding your baby with formula. In the absence of experience and skills, milk can partially spill out of the dishes, so it is rather difficult to determine how much the baby has eaten and whether he is full. But this method best demonstrates how to properly feed your baby with formula at night.
Mom's finger ... Feeding in this way is safe for lactation, but it is rarely used due to the length of the process. The finger is best used to awaken the sucking reflex in babies.

If it becomes necessary to introduce supplements while breastfeeding, the mother should make as much effort as possible to maintain lactation.

How to bring back breastfeeding?

With breast milk, the baby receives a maximum of beneficial trace elements, hormones, protective antibodies and nutrients. If there is not enough breast milk, you can feed the baby with a formula, but at the same time the woman should think about whether she is doing everything to maintain lactation.

Frequent latching of the baby to the breast, no matter how full it is, will help to solve the problem. In this case, the woman receives stimulation of the mammary glands, and the baby implements the sucking reflex in full. You should not limit the time of his stay at the breast. Sleeping together and giving up the habit of supplementing the baby with formula while breastfeeding can solve the problem of lack of breast milk in 7 days.

Additionally, a woman can take herbal and homeopathic remedies aimed at improving lactation. Also, one should not forget about good nutrition, adherence to the drinking regime and the elimination of stress factors. Sometimes these simple recommendations free the young mother from worries and worries about how to feed the baby.

The relevance of the problem of mixed feeding does not lose its popularity at any time. It can be solved only through an integrated approach, in which indicators such as his health status, the presence and amount of urination are necessarily taken into account.

How to choose a mixture and introduce it into a child's diet? A product suitable for age and individual needs should be administered carefully, preferably not from a bottle and not exceeding the norm. But even after the introduction of supplementary feeding, a young mother needs to make efforts to eliminate mistakes made during breastfeeding until lactation is restored.

Useful video about feeding a baby with formula

The content of the article:

When a baby is not gaining weight well, many mothers worry about whether they have enough milk, whether the baby is getting the full amount of nutrients it needs when breastfeeding. And many of them are ready to supplement the child with formula without going deep into the essence of the problem. Let's take a closer look at when to introduce the first supplement while breastfeeding, and when it is not required, even with poor weight gain.

What is supplementation

Supplementation is the use of formulas for breastfeeding (HB) of a newborn baby until he reaches six months of age. The functional purpose of supplementation with hepatitis B is to provide the infant's body with the necessary nutrients, which he does not receive from breast milk for various reasons. When breastfeeding, supplementation is introduced in exceptional cases or for medical reasons.

Let's consider under what conditions it is not required to introduce supplementary feeding during breastfeeding, and what circumstances force the introduction of a mixture into the baby's diet. Let's start with what the mothers put forward as arguments for the introduction of supplementation and, by the way, some doctors succumb to the influence of this evidence.

Frequent reasons for introducing supplementary feeding

Often, young mothers, due to doubts about their abilities, make a mistake, which is based on the beginning of supplementary feeding in the early stages. This happens in the postpartum period, at a time when the volume of breast milk has not stabilized, and it seems that the baby is not eating enough. This situation is aggravated by the crying of the baby, which the mother regards as the baby's request for additional nutrition.

After taking the mixture, the baby calms down and sleeps well. And thus there is a formation of an erroneous opinion about the need for mandatory introduction of supplementary feeding. Plus, some mothers are too lazy to breastfeed, and some have cracks in their nipples, which causes pain during feeding, and supplementation seems to them as a way out of this situation.

Note! According to physiological data, immediately after childbirth, the amount of milk is always small, and this is the norm. In addition, during this period, the baby's kidneys are still "immature", they are just beginning to adapt to existence in the external environment and, in terms of their functional abilities, are not able to process large volumes of fluid. Therefore, a woman's body produces a special milk - colostrum. Colostrum has a very thick consistency, there is little of it, but it sufficiently satisfies the needs of the newborn. From the 5th day after childbirth, transitional milk begins to be produced, which is already becoming more liquid, in order for lactation to be good, it is required to apply the baby to the breast as often as possible. The properties and composition of breast milk are detailed in another article on our website.

When supplementation is not required

Conditions that indicate the absence of the need to feed the baby:

■ If the baby behaves anxiously at the mother's breast. This situation does not always indicate a lack or insufficient amount of breast milk. This concern may be associated with confusion and inability of the baby to handle the nipple, the baby may have colic or something else. The pediatrician must examine the child and if everything is in order from the health side, then you can figure out this situation by excluding the nipple and pacifiers, which form an unnatural way to grip the nipple, as well as frequent latching of the baby to the breast.

■ Also, one of the factors causing a baby to cry is the pathological structure of the tongue, which manifests itself in the presence of a short frenum. This disadvantage prevents the baby from latching on to the breast in a natural way.

■ Multiple attachment of the baby to the mother's breast is a normal physiological need for the baby's body, and does not mean at all that the baby is hungry and needs additional feeding.

■ Volumes of expressed milk do not govern the rules for introducing complementary foods. If the baby is breastfed, there is no need to express.

■ According to WHO proposals, the beginning of supplementary feeding is not rational for infants under six months of age who feed on breast milk, as well as supplementing infants with water. The use of mixtures is carried out only for medical reasons, and after consultation with a pediatrician.

When to introduce supplementary feeding to babies

Situations that determine the need for the introduction of additional feeding of the baby with mixtures:

■ If the baby was born earlier than the due date. Premature babies, due to weakness, are not able to suckle on their own. In such a situation, supplementation contributes to the rapid recovery of the child's body.

■ Presence of neurological pathologies. Babies with this diagnosis cannot coordinate their actions to properly grip the nipple. Diagnosis of these pathologies occurs in the maternity hospital and parents, upon discharge, have a number of recommendations on the introduction of mixtures for feeding the child.

■ Not enough breast milk (hypolactation). Correct organization of breastfeeding, adherence to the latching regimen will allow you to normalize the amount of milk and subsequently abandon mixed feeding.

■ Practice shows that formula supplementation while breastfeeding is temporary. The main task for a young mother at this stage is to preserve lactation and exclude the possibility of transferring the baby to artificial feeding.

■ Constant pastime with the baby, tactile contact, joint rest and sleep with the baby, as well as unlimited attachment of the baby to the mammary glands will increase the amount of breast milk to the required norm.

What to give the mixture to the child

If, as a result of a consultative examination, supplementation is appointed by a pediatrician, first of all, you should seriously consider the selection of the necessary utensils for feeding. The most common mistake in this case is the use of a classic container in the form of an ordinary bottle with a nipple for feeding. But as proved by experts, such an approach to supplementary feeding can ensure a complete refusal of the baby from natural feeding, associated with the need to put more effort than when feeding with mixtures from a bottle. This is because the way the nipple and nipple are gripped are quite different, despite companies claiming to create a perfectly anatomically shaped nipple. At the moment, rubber products that would completely repeat the female nipple have not been created. Therefore, a baby who is supplemented with formula through a bottle sooner or later has to make a choice and, as a rule, it is not in favor of the breast.

The difference between breastfeeding and a nipple with a bottle is very significant and consists in the following:

- Capture depth. When breastfeeding, the baby must grasp the nipple completely with the areola, while the extraction of food through the nipple does not require a deep grasp.

- The amount of effort. Feeding from the nipple is easy and unimpeded, which is not the case with the natural way of eating. When extracting milk from the mammary glands, the baby will have to make great efforts, some babies even sweat when they suckle.

- Functionality of the gums and tongue. When breastfeeding, the tongue is used. When feeding, the process of obtaining food is carried out by chewing with the gums.

The ease of feeding the mixture from the bottle justifies the conditions for the complete refusal of the baby from natural feeding. In this case, there is a complete replacement of breast milk with a formula, the benefits of which are much less than from breast milk.

You can prevent your baby from refusing to breastfeed by using alternative feeding devices. Let's look at what kind of dishes will not discourage a baby from sucking.

- Spoon. In pediatrics, it is allowed to use an ordinary teaspoon made of silicone or a special one combined with a baby bottle for feeding. A half-filled spoon is inserted into the child's mouth, and its contents are introduced into the area between the cheek and gum. After making sure that the baby has swallowed the mixture, you can lay the next portion.

- Pipette, syringe. The feeding rules remain the same. The milk mixture is injected into the mouth in small portions, but in no case at the root of the tongue. It is recommended to use plastic pipettes with a safety tip, rounded shape and dispensing syringes made of medications, which lower the temperature of the child with fever.

- Beaker. Used are miniature variations of this crockery, made of materials that are safe for the health and life of the baby. The filled container is applied to the child's lower lip and moistened with the milk mixture. After waiting for the child to lick his lips, you can reapply the next portion of the food on her. Sometimes children use their tongues to lick the mixture out of the beaker, like kittens. This supplementation technology is considered the most common and practical form in infancy.

- SNS technology. It is completed with a soft bottle made of silicone-containing plastic and a thin-diameter tube with a retainer for holding on the mammary gland. This container is filled with a mixture, the tube is attached to the nipple, to which the baby is applied. This system ensures the simultaneous entry of breast milk and formula into the baby's stomach.

The SNS system is not very popular in Russian pediatrics. But world experts argue that this is the best way to introduce complementary foods. Due to its use, the tactile contact of the mother with the child is maintained, the function of separating milk by the breast is maintained and the use of milk formula in an amount corresponding to the needs of the child is ensured.

All utensils and utensils for feeding a baby must be sterilized before each use, routine washing is not enough. Cookware should be boiled or kept over steam, but it is best to use a can sterilizer.

Mixture introduction rules

Any method of supplementary feeding requires strict adherence to the following conditions:

Latching the baby to the mother's breast immediately before and immediately after complementary feeding.

The beginning of the process of feeding the child should be carried out only in a calm state, both for the mother and the child.

Strict adherence to the dosage of the portion.

Avoid force feeding.

To compensate for the sucking reflex is not within the power of any objects for the introduction of complementary foods. Accordingly, regular breastfeeding will solve two problems at once:

Realization of the baby's need for sucking;

Additional stimulation of the functioning of the mammary glands.

An increase in the volume of lactation will allow in the shortest possible time to abandon supplementary feeding in full. An increase in lactation can be achieved by taking medications and natural lactation stimulants.

How to give the formula to a child correctly

In order for the child to gain weight correctly (the table of weight gain for a child under one year old is displayed on our website), you need to know exactly how much the baby will receive less breast milk. Previously, pediatricians relied on established standards, which read: at two months of age, supplementary feeding with breastfeeding should not exceed 60 grams per day, at 3 months - the norm is 90 grams, and at six months of age - 240 grams. However, these indicators do not always correspond to the real needs of the child.

This is due to the fact that at such rates, the volume of breast milk produced is not recorded. This method often led to the fact that the child was completely transferred to artificial feeding. Therefore, the European experts of the La Leche League Internftional Association and AKEV recommend that you abandon this scheme and observe the following tactics when calculating the amount of supplementation, which is based on the counting of urination per day. The rate of urination of the baby per day is 12 times, it has been established that such an amount is excreted with sufficient food intake. Therefore, this check is extremely necessary when introducing supplementary feeding. The amount of the mixture required for supplementation is calculated according to the following formula: the number of non-produced urination is multiplied by the grams corresponding to the age of the child.

1 month - 10 grams
2 months - 20 grams
3 months - 30 grams
4 months - 40 grams
5 months - 50 grams
6 months - 60 grams.

In addition, it is necessary to stimulate the secretion of milk by the breast. This is done by frequent latching on to the breast, excluding nipples and pacifiers, by carrying out night feeds, in particular from 3 to 8 hours. If the child urinates more than 12 times a day, the volume of the mixture should be gradually reduced, up to complete refusal.

The scheme for introducing supplementary feeding to a child can be carried out according to two principles, the first is better for newborns, and the second for infants.

1. After sleep. The norm of the mixture for a day is divided in equal parts, which are served to the child before bedtime and immediately after waking up. This scheme requires increased control over the receipt of the entire daily volume of the mixture per day.

2. By the hour. The daily volume of the mixture is divided into 5 parts. Feeding should be done every 4 hours, starting with the morning feed. At night, it is recommended to refrain from supplementary feeding with the formula; it is better to offer the baby the breast.

conclusions

The relevance of the problem of introducing supplementary feeding during natural feeding is solved by an integrated approach, which takes into account many indicators (weight gain, health status, allergies, the number of urinations). Please note that you cannot enter the mixture on your own to a child, only a pediatrician can recommend supplementation, if there are indications for this. During supplementation, it is required to eliminate all mistakes during breastfeeding (increase the frequency of attachment, master the technique of correct gripping of the nipple, abandon the pacifier and nipple, maximize the amount of time spent with the baby, take means that increase lactation), and the correct selection of the volume of the consumed mixture will ensure the child with missing food for the time until lactation is normalized. Remember, if the frequency of urination is correct, the introduction of supplementary feeding is not required, even though the baby is not gaining weight, unless, of course, there are no medical indications for introducing supplementary feeding.

A baby is needed in cases when the mother's own milk is not enough or it is time to wean the baby.

Thanks to the achievements of the modern food industry, parents have ample opportunity in choosing an artificial milk formula. But whichever mixture is chosen, mixed feeding of the baby should be organized not spontaneously, but systematically, in compliance with medical recommendations.

When breast milk is low

It is possible to suspect milk deficiency if the number of urinations per day becomes less than twelve. How do you define it?

Instead of diapers, which are comfortable in all respects, when dressing a baby, it is necessary to return to normal diapers for 24 hours. Regularly checking them for dryness, it is important not to miss a moment so that, through negligence, you do not count two urinations in one. This is called a wet diaper test.

If there are less than 12 wet diapers per day, the child needs additional nutrition.

Calculation of the amount of supplementary feed

Mixed feeding of a baby is organized in accordance with the calculation of the amount of milk formula. If, as a result of the "wet test", only 7 diapers were wetted instead of the prescribed 12, then the received supplementary food should be enough exactly to wet 5 more diapers.

For a child under three months of age, each act of urination accounts for approximately 30 ml of food. Five dry diapers are multiplied by 30 ml and receive 150 ml of supplementary feed per day.

A child from three to six months no longer eats 30, but 40-60 ml, therefore, with the same calculation formula, the result will accordingly be changed.

Complementary feeding rhythm

There is no fundamental difference in how to organize mixed feeding of a baby, but there are two tactics:

After each breastfeeding, give the baby a formula (the amount calculated according to the above formula, divided by the approximate number of feedings per day).
One or several feedings per day should be completely carried out with an artificial mixture.

The choice of tactics depends on the lifestyle of the family and the preferences of the baby, which should not be ignored either.

Before full feeding with an artificial mixture, it is necessary to gradually, starting with half a teaspoon, accustom the child to new food, carefully monitoring the reaction. If on the second day after the introduction of a few drops of the mixture, allergic reactions did not appear, then the mixture can be safely introduced into the diet.

What will change when the baby is transferred to mixed feeding?

Many mothers note that with the introduction of supplementary feeding and with a favorable course of adaptation to it, children become calmer, sleep better and willingly suck on the bottle with the mixture.

This behavior of the baby can make the mother decide that breastfeeding is not necessary for her baby and there is no point in wasting time and energy in maintaining it.

This is an erroneous opinion, since no achievements in the food industry have yet surpassed breast milk in the composition of the unique substances that a small person needs so much.

If the baby does not demonstrate contentment with life, but has become even more restless, then his condition should be discussed with the pediatrician, answering in detail his questions about the child's daily routine, his appetite and stool.

Can breast milk be saved when formula feeding?

Cases where lactation worsens due to a lack of nutrients in the mother's body is rare. It is known that during the Nazi blockade, residents of Leningrad, with monstrous malnutrition, fed their babies with their own milk. This is not a medical miracle, since the mechanisms of lactation depend not so much on the food and drink consumed as on the woman's hormonal background.

The formation of milk in the mammary glands is made possible by the hormone prolactin, which is produced at night and in the early morning hours, from about 3 am to 8 am, subject to night feedings.

The hormone oxytocin, produced by stimulating the nipples, helps to separate the produced milk from the mammary gland, that is, to stimulate lactation, the baby must always breastfeed before emptying.

So that there are no obstacles for the production of oxytocin, a woman should feel relaxed, calm, safe and contact skin to skin with the baby as closely as possible: bathe him, do a massage, take care of him, play and caress.

Breastfeeding will not come to naught, even if mixed feeding has become the rule of feeding. The scheme of attachments to the breast in this case should be built not according to charts and tables, but at the request of the baby. In other words, with poor lactation, there is no extra attachment, especially at night. Little by little, lactation will recover if there is no internal psychological resistance from the mother.

How to maintain lactation if the mother cannot be with the baby all day?

Sometimes a mother who goes to work or takes strong medications is forced to make the transition to mixed feeding of her baby. Feedback from women who have gone this way suggests that even in the workplace or while taking medications, you can maintain lactation by regularly expressing breast milk with a breast pump.

Subject to hygienic conditions, such milk can be placed in a cooler bag and frozen at home or given to the baby for food later from a bottle (except when taking medications, of course).

In sad situations, when the baby is in the hospital isolated from the mother, who is deprived of the opportunity to breastfeed him, this method will not only help to maintain lactation, but also, by agreement with the doctor, will contribute to the speedy recovery of the baby, for which mother's milk will become a medicine.

Physiological changes in stool during feeding

A baby supplemented with infant formula gains weight in much the same way as his breastfed counterpart. But the stool in these children is different.

Mixed-fed infants' stools are reddish-brown in color and have a slightly offensive odor, reminiscent of adult feces. The consistency of the stool from a semi-liquid mushy turns into a thicker one, reminiscent of plasticine. The frequency of bowel movements becomes less frequent. This is normal because the baby's digestive system is exposed to unnatural food.

At first, white lumps may be found in the baby's stool. Most likely, these are fragments of undigested food: the enzymatic system did not have time to adapt to the changed diet.

That is why the smell and color of the stool of babies with mixed feeding are different from the stool of babies who receive exclusively breasts. A few days after the introduction of supplementary feeding, the stool should become homogeneous, but it will never become similar to baby stool.

Constipation

Supplementation with infant formula, unfortunately, is not a panacea for digestive problems, even if the most expensive and advertised bottle is chosen. Under the most favorable set of circumstances and provided that the supplementary feeding is well suited to the baby and the digestive system has coped with the restructuring, the excretory system also needs time to change in work.

The most common complaint of stool problems is with mixed feeding. Often the mother is to blame for overdosing the nutritional powder in the formula. The solution is obvious: read the food preparation instructions carefully and give the baby extra fluids or, preferably, offer the baby more often. The composition of breast milk is very specific and will naturally help establish a normal bowel movement.

But in order to solve the problem of constipation immediately, especially if the child shows all the signs of discomfort, you can use glycerin suppositories, microclysters, lactulose preparations and tummy massage on the recommendation of a pediatrician.

Loose stools

For objective reasons, a baby's feces with mixed feeding should be formed, therefore, when its consistency changes dramatically and becomes similar to a liquid heterogeneous porridge, and the frequency increases from one or two times a day to 5 or more, they talk about diarrhea.

Mixed feeding can be caused by many reasons, and, unfortunately, artificial feeding plays a role in its occurrence. The child's immune system is under stress due to the intake of nutrients that are not familiar to his body. Lack of breast milk only exacerbates this difficult situation, therefore, the ingress of pathogens less often passes without a trace for the baby.

If the already liquid stool of a baby with mixed feeding contains a large number of white cheesy lumps, despite the fact that the supplement was introduced more than a week ago, one can suspect that this particular jar of food is not suitable for the child, and it makes sense to choose food from another manufacturer. It is better to give preference to adapted milk formulas and select them in accordance with the age of the child and the doctor's recommendation.

It will also be useful to check if the child is suffering from a congenital defect or a consequence of other systemic diseases.

No matter what objective reasons the mother's decision to transfer her child to mixed feeding depends on, doctors recommend maintaining lactation for as long as possible and closely monitoring the condition of the child receiving artificial nutrition during the infancy.